The 6th Day (2000)

Director: Roger Spottiswoode

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Rapaport, Tony Goldwyn

A man meets a clone of himself and stumbles into a grand conspiracy about clones taking over the world.

‘The 6th Day’ is set in the near future…sooner than you think.

Adam (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is opposed to cloning and refuse to clone the family dog when it is put down. The information given about cloning your pet is so relevant to the rest of the movie and very well set-up. This paved the way for what was to follow.

Cloning is a controversial subject – today still. It has its advantages, and also a fair share of disadvantages. Both issues are addressed in ‘The 6th Day’ and will certainly be grounds for heated debate. The film offers this serious subject in a fun, lighthearted manner. Schwarzenegger is funny as usual with his dry sense of humour. There can be only one Arnie. Uhm, well, actually, in ‘The 6th Day’ there are two! Twice the Arnie means double the action!

The action sequences are stunning. Budget was no option and it shows. Being a Schwarzenegger movie, there’s plenty of action – kinda what you expect from an Arnie movie, isn’t it?

The film’s main protagonist is Michael Drucker, owner of a cloning corporation – well portrayed by Tony Goldwyn. He, too, is a bit of a controversial character.

There’s interesting twists along the way, but the film might be confusing to some. You have to pay close attention, and dialogue is key here. This is an exciting fantasy action adventure and I enjoyed it!

Unfortunately ‘The 6th Day’ was deemed a box office failure. Maybe because of some of the above-mentioned reasons? The very title of the film together with its premise, might also be considered blasphemy. Either way, the film certainly is thought-provoking.

The film nevertheless received award nominations for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actor, Best Makeup and Best Special Effects.

Would I watch it again? Yes.